Narrative:

The problem, crossing into restr airspace, arose from loss of navigation signal after passing mustang and mina VOR's. Loss of signal was due to aircraft inability to reach 15500' for navigation signal from coaldale VOR. Contributing factor was loss of ZOA radio signal. With no navigation signal my present position, when I made the decision to proceed LORAN direct to grand canyon, was apparently much farther south of coaldale VOR than I suspected, thus the intrusion into the restr areas. Our flight plan destination was little rock, ar (home), via the grand canyon. Route of flight out of lake tahoe was to be victor arwys to mustang VOR (rno), coaldale VOR, peach springs VOR, beatty VOR to the grand canyon. I asked for and received flight following via ZOA upon reaching 10000' on departing south lake tahoe. ZOA handed me off to rno approach control. Parting from rno control zone, rno approach turned me back over to ZOA. Unable to pick up coaldale's VOR signal, I switched to mina VOR, thinking that closer to coaldale I would be able to receive its signal. Unfortunately, I never received coaldale's VOR signal. ZOA's frequency also faded, and upon repeated attempts, I could not reach ZOA. It was at this point that I turned on my LORAN set and proceeded direct to the grand canyon. Looking at the low altitude en route chart, I thought that my present position was approximately at coaldale VOR and thus north of MOA restr areas R4809 and R4807. As my route brought me near mormon mesa VOR I contacted las approach and asked for nellis AFB approach control to let them know of my arrival at or near their control zone. It was at this point that nellis approach informed me that I had been flying across restr areas R4807, R4808N and R4806W. My reply to him was that I thought my flight was in the sally desert MOA only. Nevertheless nellis approach said I was being tracked throughout my entry into the above restr zones. I can say in my defense that it was an honest mistake. I was not trying to hide my flight as my transponder squawking 1200 and my blind encoder were turned on and my altitude was 11500' throughout my flight, consistent with VFR easterly flight rules. Lastly, I contacted nellis AFB on my own free will and therefore was not trying to hide my flight. The loss of radio navigation coaldale VOR and communication signal from ZOA were primarily responsible for my decision to proceed LORAN direct to the grand canyon. Again, I thought my route through sally desert MOA would avoid the above named restr areas.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA SMA FLEW THROUGH RESTRICTED AREAS WITHOUT CLRNC.

Narrative: THE PROB, XING INTO RESTR AIRSPACE, AROSE FROM LOSS OF NAV SIGNAL AFTER PASSING MUSTANG AND MINA VOR'S. LOSS OF SIGNAL WAS DUE TO ACFT INABILITY TO REACH 15500' FOR NAV SIGNAL FROM COALDALE VOR. CONTRIBUTING FACTOR WAS LOSS OF ZOA RADIO SIGNAL. WITH NO NAV SIGNAL MY PRESENT POS, WHEN I MADE THE DECISION TO PROCEED LORAN DIRECT TO GRAND CANYON, WAS APPARENTLY MUCH FARTHER S OF COALDALE VOR THAN I SUSPECTED, THUS THE INTRUSION INTO THE RESTR AREAS. OUR FLT PLAN DEST WAS LITTLE ROCK, AR (HOME), VIA THE GRAND CANYON. ROUTE OF FLT OUT OF LAKE TAHOE WAS TO BE VICTOR ARWYS TO MUSTANG VOR (RNO), COALDALE VOR, PEACH SPRINGS VOR, BEATTY VOR TO THE GRAND CANYON. I ASKED FOR AND RECEIVED FLT FOLLOWING VIA ZOA UPON REACHING 10000' ON DEPARTING SOUTH LAKE TAHOE. ZOA HANDED ME OFF TO RNO APCH CTL. PARTING FROM RNO CTL ZONE, RNO APCH TURNED ME BACK OVER TO ZOA. UNABLE TO PICK UP COALDALE'S VOR SIGNAL, I SWITCHED TO MINA VOR, THINKING THAT CLOSER TO COALDALE I WOULD BE ABLE TO RECEIVE ITS SIGNAL. UNFORTUNATELY, I NEVER RECEIVED COALDALE'S VOR SIGNAL. ZOA'S FREQ ALSO FADED, AND UPON REPEATED ATTEMPTS, I COULD NOT REACH ZOA. IT WAS AT THIS POINT THAT I TURNED ON MY LORAN SET AND PROCEEDED DIRECT TO THE GRAND CANYON. LOOKING AT THE LOW ALT ENRTE CHART, I THOUGHT THAT MY PRESENT POS WAS APPROX AT COALDALE VOR AND THUS N OF MOA RESTR AREAS R4809 AND R4807. AS MY ROUTE BROUGHT ME NEAR MORMON MESA VOR I CONTACTED LAS APCH AND ASKED FOR NELLIS AFB APCH CTL TO LET THEM KNOW OF MY ARR AT OR NEAR THEIR CTL ZONE. IT WAS AT THIS POINT THAT NELLIS APCH INFORMED ME THAT I HAD BEEN FLYING ACROSS RESTR AREAS R4807, R4808N AND R4806W. MY REPLY TO HIM WAS THAT I THOUGHT MY FLT WAS IN THE SALLY DESERT MOA ONLY. NEVERTHELESS NELLIS APCH SAID I WAS BEING TRACKED THROUGHOUT MY ENTRY INTO THE ABOVE RESTR ZONES. I CAN SAY IN MY DEFENSE THAT IT WAS AN HONEST MISTAKE. I WAS NOT TRYING TO HIDE MY FLT AS MY TRANSPONDER SQUAWKING 1200 AND MY BLIND ENCODER WERE TURNED ON AND MY ALT WAS 11500' THROUGHOUT MY FLT, CONSISTENT WITH VFR EASTERLY FLT RULES. LASTLY, I CONTACTED NELLIS AFB ON MY OWN FREE WILL AND THEREFORE WAS NOT TRYING TO HIDE MY FLT. THE LOSS OF RADIO NAV COALDALE VOR AND COM SIGNAL FROM ZOA WERE PRIMARILY RESPONSIBLE FOR MY DECISION TO PROCEED LORAN DIRECT TO THE GRAND CANYON. AGAIN, I THOUGHT MY ROUTE THROUGH SALLY DESERT MOA WOULD AVOID THE ABOVE NAMED RESTR AREAS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.